1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a converter housing of a hydrodynamic torque converter with a driver. The driver is in operative connection with a receptacle of a drive element.
2. Description of the Related Art
German reference DE 195 09 501 A1 describes a converter housing of a hydrodynamic torque converter with a converter cover which is rotatable about a center axis. Drivers arranged at a side of the housing facing a drive, e.g., a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, are distributed at regular angular intervals along the circumference of the housing at a preferably substantially radially extending region. The drives are intended for entering into an operative connection with a receptacle, not shown, of a drive element which is associated with the drive and has a center axis aligned with that of the converter cover. For this purpose, the driver has a block with a threaded bore hole in which a screw associated with the drive element can be inserted, the screw serving as a seat or receptacle for the driver.
In drivers of the type mentioned above which are fastened to the converter cover, the following problem arises: Each motor vehicle manufacturer provides the drive element which must be fixedly connected with the converter housing on an acceptable radius with the receptacles that are associated with the drivers fastened to the converter cover. Consequently, a converter manufacturer who produces torque converters for a number of motor vehicle manufacturers confronts the problem that the drivers used in the vehicles of every motor vehicle manufacturer, in some cases even for different engine types of the same motor vehicle manufacturer, must be arranged at a different radial distance from the axis of rotation of the converter housing, so that the required connection can be made to the receptacles of the drive element. This results in the problem that the drivers must be fastened to frequently varying radial regions of the converter cover, which is usually accomplished by welding. When the driver has a circular shape, for example, the driver may be fastened at its radial inner region to an axial formation at the converter cover, wherein an axial formation of this type can be provided, for example, to afford axial space for the installation of a torsional vibration damper. As a result, a radial displacement of the driver is insufficient, and the driver must be reconfigured, for example, in that its side facing the axial offset is constructed with a cutout for the axial offset. Ultimately, this requires a large number of different drivers which, in turn, has the result that a welding program for fastening the drivers to the converter cover must not only be changed with respect to position coordinates, but must be completely revised due to the new configuration of the driver. Further, considerable problems result when the welding tools cannot access determined locations of the converter cover, such as in a radial region of the axial offset, so that it is not possible to weld the driver in this region even when this is necessary.